Welcome to the Piano World Piano ForumsOver 2 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

wolfindmist
1000 Post Club Member
Registered: 03/12/04
Posts: 1478
Loc: In a state full of Volcanoes

The facility I am playing at got an old tall upright; stencil name is Kroeger and the city of origin is New York. I don't have the serial # yet.Ornate carved legs and front cabinet(Victorian styled) ; wood appears to be Mahogany but I am not 100% certain to be honest.New keytops put on at some point in it's lifetime. I'd say it is in that golden era/age of American Piano making just looking at it. The finish seems to be original but I really didn't take a closer look at it.

I don't have a Larry Fine piano book on hand and have to go to the library to get it (just don't have the money to get my own Fine book yet, so I read the library copy 3 times so far and will again check it out soon).So I am hoping somebody on the PW boards can help me find info on the piano's maker (history wise, reputation).

I only found one post on a search so far.So links or informative posts on the Old New York piano copmpany "Kroeger" can be of real help to me.

Thank you for any help the members here can give.

_________________________
I have my own weapon of mass destruction in the form of a "teenage" German Shepherd. Anything she spies and can get ahold of is fair game.

Kroeger Piano Co. Est.1852, in Stamford, CT. Moved to NYC. Taken over by Kohler&Campbell in the mid 1920's. Grands are the same as Brambach after 1924. What you have is a big old piece of junk, that is not worth sinking any money into.

wolfindmist
1000 Post Club Member
Registered: 03/12/04
Posts: 1478
Loc: In a state full of Volcanoes

Thank's Curry;I was afraid of that. I am betting it has become through neglect, improper care and age what my tuner would call "space age junk".

I didn't make the decision to choose to accept it;I have no pull when it comes to accepting donated pianos.

I am just the unfortunate piano player who probably will be stuck playing on it. Unless divine intervention comes about. Pray for my soul and my hands.

At least I have my guitar.

Quote:

Originally posted by curry: Kroeger Piano Co. Est.1852, in Stamford, CT. Moved to NYC. Taken over by Kohler&Campbell in the mid 1920's. Grands are the same as Brambach after 1924. What you have is a big old piece of junk, that is not worth sinking any money into. [/b]

_________________________
I have my own weapon of mass destruction in the form of a "teenage" German Shepherd. Anything she spies and can get ahold of is fair game.

wolfindmist
1000 Post Club Member
Registered: 03/12/04
Posts: 1478
Loc: In a state full of Volcanoes

Got a longer look at the donated upright yesterday; the stencil name is Kroeger, New York but underneath in smaller print is Clark & Wise; San Francisco.

Serial number #52343So how old? LOL! I will be bringing a guitar in case it is a total disaster. So much for ascending and descending long arrpegios as the last two and 1/3 octave keys are pretty near death and some show no signs of life.

_________________________
I have my own weapon of mass destruction in the form of a "teenage" German Shepherd. Anything she spies and can get ahold of is fair game.

Made in 1914. There is no link to get info, nor is it in the Piano Book. There were hundreds of Manufacturers in the USA before the great depression. The only info available is from the Pierce Piano Atlas.

wolfindmist
1000 Post Club Member
Registered: 03/12/04
Posts: 1478
Loc: In a state full of Volcanoes

Thanks Curry;This will help in some way.I will be giving the the bad news to the staff above me this week.

I am thinking at some point the piano got synthetic key tops and a refinish job (which looks pretty ugly). The finish doesn't look like the old finish my 1907 henry has whatsoever. Looks like modern stuff was put on at some point.But that is just my lay guess.

Serious damage to the wood carving on the front desk panel. As chunks on the carved deco appear to have been broken off years ago as opposed to recently.

The keytop job wasn't very good or some fell off and got replaced later, some of the key tops aren't as thick as others. No ivorys on any key tops; plastic looking and feeling keytops in single piece rather than two.

It is an ugly big boy. Wood is Mahagony, brown but not very pretty grain wise. And my bet is it has been living in a basement or garage for awhile.

At least I have a few octaves to work with tomorrow... LOL.

So a question:

If a tuner puts a sticker on a piano that says the piano has been "tuned for pleasure" can I come to the conclusion the piano tuner was not able to bring the raise the piano up to pitch for some reason on that date (customer choice, instrument limitations/condition)? Just wondering about that orange sticker dated 1995. The tuners phone number is also on the sticker btw.

I'll just sign myself as....having less than 88 keys on this gig

Thanks for the helpful info I can give to the facility staff. Hopefully they will learn something from this very old piano.

_________________________
I have my own weapon of mass destruction in the form of a "teenage" German Shepherd. Anything she spies and can get ahold of is fair game.